Typically, light diffusion involves the scattering of direct light by making it pass through a translucent material and/or by bouncing it off a semi-reflective surface. Photographers often create a “softer” light by using light diffusion.
Light beams produced by a bright light source like the sun or a light bulb are straight. Diffused light beams pass through something that is not transparent or bounce off another surface. Diffused light beams scatter in different directions. This diffused light is softer and will not seem as harsh to the viewer as the direct light from the bright light sources.
The light beams are also called light rays. Light rays are composed of light photons. Light diffusion may be described as photon diffusion.
Thus, photon diffusion is when photons travel through a material without being absorbed, but rather undergoing repeated scattering events. These scattering events change the direction of the path of the photons. The path of any given photon is then effectively a random walk. A large ensemble of such photons can be said to exhibit diffusion in the material.
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a two-lead semiconductor light source that emits light. Since their introduction in the early 1960s, they have become increasingly more effective and popular. LED light illuminates displays, such as computer monitors, televisions, tablet computers, and touchscreen smartphones.
Unfortunately, a LED produces a pinpoint of light (i.e., point light) that produces an undesirable “hot spot”. Conversely, desirable displays have soft and even illumination.
In response, conventional diffusion technologies exist to ameliorate hot spots. The conventional diffusion technology typically involves layering of multiple and often differing films or substrates to refract and/or reflect the light beam from the pinpoint light sources. However, the relentless drive to ever thinner electronic devices makes the volume occupied by diffusers increasingly more precious. Consequentially, there is becoming less and less room in state-of-the-art electric devices for conventional diffusers.
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